Paraguachoa was the name given to Margarita Island by its first inhabitants, the Guaiquerí Indians and means "plentiful fishing". It was spotted on 15 of August 1498 by Christopher Columbus.

NUEVA ESPARTA

This is the name since 12 of May 1817 on request of José Cortés de Madariaga, a prominent personality of the Venezuelan Independence Movement.

During the colonial period, the island suffered numerous pirate attacks (14 assaults between 1565 and 1595) and therefore it had to be fortified. Two of the seven forts are still standing: Castillo de San Carlos Borromeo in Pampatar and Castillo de Santa Rosa in La Asunción as well as the smaller ones: Fortín de la Caranta in Pampatar, La Galera in Juangriego and España in Santa Ana.

On May 4, 1810, the province of Margarita joined the independence movement started in Caracas in April of the same year and on July 5, 1811; it was one of the seven provinces that signed the Independence Declaration of Venezuela, fact that earned it one star of the seven stars on the National Flag.

The history of Margarita Island is divided into 4 eras.

• Pre-Columbian – before the arrival of the Europeans
• Colony – three centuries of Spanish rule
• Independence
• Commercial and Tourist

Pre-colubian Era

The tribe Guaiquerí populated Margarita Island. They called the island Paraguachoa, what means place of plentiful fishing. They were friendly and hospitable and dedicated to fishing. They were expert navigators. They also were proud and defended themselves fiercely against occasional attacks of other tribes.

Colony:

The ships of admiral Christopher Columbus sighted Margarita Island on their third Journey to the Indies on August 15, 1498. Alonso de Ojeda disembarked on the island and made friends with the Guaquieríes. The Indians thought that the pale Spaniards with their shiny armaments must be their "brothers of the sun" and that their arrival meant the beginning of a large and prosper empire. They received them very friendly and hospitable.

When they lead the Spaniards to the oyster banks on Cubagua, the neighbour island, the Europeans forced them to extract thousands of tons of oysters to provide the Spanish crown a healthy income, turning Margarita Island into a jewel and the pearl into the first currency in Venezuela.

Independence:

Like everywhere in the world, the ideas of humanism and human rights arrived also lead the Spanish colonies in America to a strong independence movement. In Venezuela, the independence war was fought between 1810 and 1821 under the leadership of the military genius Simón Bolívar. Margarita was one of the first provinces to succeed in winning over the Spanish troops that were a lot more numerous and better equipped than the Margaritan Patriots. This courage and fierceness gained the island region the name of Nueva Esparta.

During the era of colony and independence, the island was a frequent target for pirate attacks. Several castles and forts were built to repel those attacks and some of them still remain as a reminder of a turbulent past.

Margarita, Commercial y Tourist orientated

Margarita Island is decreed Free Port in 1974, laying the bases for the economical progress of the island.

Paradoxically, the same hot and sunny climate that before inhibited its development has become one of its main and very appreciated attractions. The climate combined with the traditional kindness of the natives, their profound knowledge of the sea and their commercial skills have converted the island into an tourist attraction, forcing the construction of adequate infrastructure to satisfy the taste of the constant flow of visitors from all over the world.

Beach hotels, golf courts, marinas, malls and shops as well as nightlife and entertainment - this is the Margarita Island of nowadays.